The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-05-28
THE LESSON.

The Pillar of Cloud Tvs 49, 20)The angel
of Jehovah had been leading Israel in pillar
of cloud by day and of fire by night. He
now goes behind them and interposes the pill
lar between the Israelites and the Egyptians,
which is light for Gods chosen people, but
darkness for the Egyptians.
The Miracle ". 2D-The Israelites now
come at evening to the head of the Red sea
Death, to the human eye seems to lie before
them and death is behind them. But Moses,
| in accordance with the divine command,
stretches out his hand over the sea. A strong
east wind, lasting all night, lashes the waters
away from the sands and leaves II dry PATH
| The miracle here does not seem to consist 50
| much in the means used as perhaps in the
exact adaptation of natural means to open a
way for the Israelites at the right time
VS.. %, %. The people recognized Gods
hand, and, whatever fears they may have
| had, took this as the only means of escape, 1t
| is not necessary for us to suppose that the
waters rose up in a heap on the right hand
and the left but that there was perhaps a
| pathway between the northern part Of the
| Red sea and the adjoining Bitter lakes lying
| Just above, which served as a rampant. Com
pare Nahum iii, s.
| The Egyptians in their eagerneSs did not
seem to foresee the possible danger of pursu-
ing the lsraeites. They followed close on
the rear of the fleeing hosts. The narrative
| does not definitely say that Pharaoh joined in
the pursuit, although it might seem imply
| it, We know two things about Merncphtah
that he took good care not to expose himself
to too great danger, and that he died in his
bed.
1t must have been an awful night for the
| IsraelteS. Women were screaming and chill
dren crying as they fled quickly before the
| advancing host
Deliverance Tvs. "a, 25)-But in the morn
ing, when perhaps the hearts of the Israel
ties were beginning to faint, deliverance
came. God appeared to terrify the Egyp-
| tians. He is spoken of as looking on them
through the pillar Of cloud. Whether this
means, as some think, that the dazzling light
| of the pillar of fire smote on their faces, we
do not know He took off their chariot
wheels, or perhaps better as some versions
| read, bound them Revised Version, margin),
so that they would not turn. 1t was then
that the Egyptians felt the hand of God and
gave way to fear, proposing to flee because
God was fighting for Israel
| Destruction of the Egyptians Tvs. %, 2S-
| At the Lords command Moses stretched out
his hand over the sea, and it returned to is
wDnted dow Revised Version, margin). In
vain the Egyptians sought to flee. On came
the roaring tide and covered them in the
waters so that there did not remain one.
VS. %, 30. The author once more tells
! how Israel passed through the sea, and how,
J when the morning dawned, they saw the
bodies Of the Egyptians which had been
washed upon the shore.
v 81. Israel recognized Gods hand in this
great deliyerance; they feared him and be-
| lieved in the Lord and IL his servant Moses
This was an important result; but We shall
see from the subsequent history how easily
they forgot Cod, and even the great service
which their heroic leader had rendered
Nothing less than such a great deliveranc,
could make an adequate impression On tn,
minds of an undiciplined and ignorant pco
pie.
| POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED.
| l. When God bids us go forward we should
obey, although to human sight the sea is ii
front and the enemy behind.
q miracle may take place not only